Shrewsbury 'hit all the boxes' for new owners - Friedel

What the report says

Shrewsbury Town’s new sporting director Brad Friedel says the League Two club was the right fit for the US-backed owners after a search across several European countries ended with their takeover. Speaking to BBC Radio Shropshire, Friedel said the consortium led by Scott Davidson saw Shrewsbury as a project they could help develop both on and off the pitch, with an emphasis on linking the team more closely to the town.

The takeover, completed on Monday, gave Biscayne ST LLC an 87.4% stake and ended long-time owner Roland Wycherley’s control of the club. Friedel, a former Premier League goalkeeper with Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Tottenham, said the group had considered clubs in Turkey, Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands before deciding Shrewsbury matched their criteria. He also highlighted Davidson’s existing involvement in Scottish club The Spartans as part of the group’s broader football background.

Friedel said he would be based at the club day to day and wants to work closely with head coach Gavin Cowan. He described the approach as collaborative and said recruitment work has already begun, with data playing a role but not the only factor. More broadly, the new owners have set out a gradual plan focused first on stability and structure, with the aim of making Shrewsbury promotion contenders in time. For the club, the change marks a new phase after finishing safely in League Two last season and moving on from years under Wycherley’s ownership.